The Right Rooms | Why Proximity Creates More Opportunities Than Visibility

Ahead of this month’s Beyond Sessions, The Right Rooms, I kept coming back to the same principle; opportunities tend to flow through the people and places you’re closest to. Not through the largest audience or the most impressions, but through proximity. 

I guarantee you that if you spend time on social media, you’ll have been told that growth comes from visibility. Post more content, build a bigger audience, show up on more platforms… 

Visibility matters because it helps people discover you, but discovery and opportunity aren’t the same thing. 

When I look back at the most meaningful opportunities in my career - and now in my business - very few came from simply being seen. 

Opportunities came through relationships: a conversation that sparked an idea, an introduction at exactly the right moment, a recommendation made when I wasn’t in the room, or a community I became part of and invested in over time. 

The more I reflect on it, the more convinced I become that many of us focus on the wrong lever. 

Instead of asking: “How do I become more visible?”

The question we should be asking is: “How do I get closer to the conversations, communities and relationships that matter most?”

Because visibility creates awareness. Proximity creates opportunity and opportunities create value.  

Most opportunities don’t appear out of nowhere. They move through trust, familiarity and relationships built long before an opportunity exists. 

The people closest to opportunity are usually the people closest to where things are happening. They’re part of the conversation, known within the ecosystem and top of mind when opportunities arise. 

My J.P. Morgan mentor, Simone Haslinger, once challenged me to think about who I needed to be known by if I wanted to progress in my career. I still remember the conversation so vividly. It was a big ‘aha’ moment for me – who needs to know me in order to progress? Often there are some people in that eco-system you hadn’t consider, and that there are more people to influence than you think.  

Today, I think there’s an even better question: Where do the people I want to know spend their time? How do I get there? 

Opportunities rarely travel directly. They move through communities, networks and shared spaces. 

The rooms we spend time in shape more than our opportunities. They influence our standards, ambition, thinking and ultimately what we believe is possible. 

Some rooms expand us. Some challenge us. Some energise us and in my opinion, the best rooms do all three!  

Others drain our energy or no longer align with where we’re heading. Growth isn’t always about finding new rooms. Sometimes it’s about having the courage to leave old ones.  

In the words of Marie Kondo (albeit in a slightly different context) - 

“The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now. Not for the person we were in the past.” 

Whilst we can’t control every outcome, we can influence the environments we place ourselves in. 

We can be intentional about the conversations we join, the communities we contribute to, the events we attend and the relationships we invest in. 

Entrepreneur, Emma Grede says - 

“To be in the right place at the right time, you must put yourself in motion.”

I think that’s exactly right; luck isn’t random, often it’s proximity in disguise. 

Building a business or personal brand isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about being present in the places that create access to the right opportunities. 

Ultimately, the goal isn’t to be known by everyone. It’s to be known by the right people. 

Here are 5 ways to generate better proximity to the right opportunities: 

1. Audit your last three opportunities

Think about the last three opportunities/leads you’ve received. It could be a new client, referral, collaboration, speaking opportunity. 

Where did the opportunity actually come from? 

You’ll often find patterns hiding in plain sight. 

2. Identify who you most need to be known by

Not everyone. The people, communities or decision-makers most closely connected to the opportunities you want to create. 

Map them out. Target them. Take Simone’s advice! 

3. Go where those people already spend their time

Instead of asking, “How do I raise my profile?” 

Ask, “Where are the people I want to connect with already gathering?” 

Go there. Consistently.  

4. Review the rooms you’re currently investing in

Which communities, memberships, events and networks are genuinely contributing to your growth? 

Which have become habits rather than strategic choices? 

5. Invest in proximity, not popularity

You don’t need everyone to know your name. 

You need the right people to remember it when the right opportunity appears. 

More often than not, that starts by putting yourself in the right rooms. 

One final thought from me; the best opportunities flow through the people and places you’re closest to.  

If you want different results, don’t just increase your visibility, improve your proximity to the conversations, communities and relationships that matter most. 

Happy Room Hunting! Hopefully you’ll have a little fun too. 

T x